Hello! I'm new. I'm a woman on the edge! I sure hope someone can give me a clue
I know this post may be long winded, but I want to include all the info I can to paint a clear picture of my problem.
I have had this computer since June 1998 with no real problems. It is a Gateway GP6-400 with an Intel Pentium II running Windows 98. I go away last weekend and come home to a possesed computer. The symptoms: 2-3 minute hang on shutdown, 3-4 minute hang on standby and the same when woken up from standby mode, (no problems with restart), 1-2 minute hang upon opening Microsoft Word Documents, Adobe Photodeluxe-not reponding, RealPlayer-not responding. I also noticed a month or so ago that my memory on the C drive was almost used up 6.43GB used out of 7.85GB. What happened over the weekend? My babysitter ran scan disk-no big deal. She also burned about 15 cds with Hotburn copying them to the hard drive then to the E drive. (Although I am under the impression that Hotburn erases all temp folders that it creates when you close the program...I could be wrong)
What I've tried already: I ran defrag. I updated Norton and scanned for viruses, found nothing. I downloaded critical updates for windows. I upgraded to Internet Explorer 6 (because it was there). I cleared my history and dumped a bunch of unnecessary jokes and cartoons I had cluttering up My Documents. I emptied my Temporary Internet Folders and Dumped the Temporary Downloads Folder. I removed programs and games no longer in use and saved information from my email folders that I wanted to floppy disk. My pie graph for C drive now reads 3.54GB used out of 7.85GB. I went to msconfig and disabled fast shutdown. I took unnecessary programs out of start up. At this point I remembered installing Photodraw for Microsoft, but that has been about a month ago and none of these symptoms were apparent directly after that install, still...with the word program hanging, I figured maybe I managed to mess up Microsoft Office 2000. So I wanted to uninstall Photodraw, but it had integrated itself into Office and was unreachable. So I went into Office and ran installation repair. When that didn't help I uninstalled and reinstalled Office. No change. Running out of ideas, I went to housecall and did an online virus scan. It found 3 infected and uncleanable files, all jokes. I deleted them all, and commenced to get ticked off because Norton had missed them. A well meaning friend then directed me to a download online called AutoExit 4.0. I downloaded it but it wasn't a patch for Windows as I was hoping, but a seperate program for shutting down. I don't want to keep it. I want to get Windows back into shape and shutting down and going on standby normally. During my adventures looking around in the computers files, I stumbled upon Dr. Watson. (Didn't even know I had it) Ran that and it told me the following: Adobe Type Manager has altered Windows System Files. Module Name: ATMSYS.DRV and a version number. I tried to uninstall Adobe Type Manager, but couldn't. I located the program on the C drive under program folders and when I tried to open it I got an error message saying it couldn't be opened. AAARRRGGHHH! That's where I am now. Out of ideas and still haven't budged the problem. I don't know if the viruses are capable of doing this? I don't know if the Word Documents hanging are a seperate problem? I did look at the properties for Adobe Type Manager and it was put on the system in May, so it wasn't a recent addition. As for Adobe Photodeluxe and Realplayer not responding...who cares, really, I could live without both programs, but I mentioned it because all this happened at the same time. I don't get it. I don't know where to turn next. Can anyone offer some suggestions please before I tear my hair out?
I know this post may be long winded, but I want to include all the info I can to paint a clear picture of my problem.
I have had this computer since June 1998 with no real problems. It is a Gateway GP6-400 with an Intel Pentium II running Windows 98. I go away last weekend and come home to a possesed computer. The symptoms: 2-3 minute hang on shutdown, 3-4 minute hang on standby and the same when woken up from standby mode, (no problems with restart), 1-2 minute hang upon opening Microsoft Word Documents, Adobe Photodeluxe-not reponding, RealPlayer-not responding. I also noticed a month or so ago that my memory on the C drive was almost used up 6.43GB used out of 7.85GB. What happened over the weekend? My babysitter ran scan disk-no big deal. She also burned about 15 cds with Hotburn copying them to the hard drive then to the E drive. (Although I am under the impression that Hotburn erases all temp folders that it creates when you close the program...I could be wrong)
What I've tried already: I ran defrag. I updated Norton and scanned for viruses, found nothing. I downloaded critical updates for windows. I upgraded to Internet Explorer 6 (because it was there). I cleared my history and dumped a bunch of unnecessary jokes and cartoons I had cluttering up My Documents. I emptied my Temporary Internet Folders and Dumped the Temporary Downloads Folder. I removed programs and games no longer in use and saved information from my email folders that I wanted to floppy disk. My pie graph for C drive now reads 3.54GB used out of 7.85GB. I went to msconfig and disabled fast shutdown. I took unnecessary programs out of start up. At this point I remembered installing Photodraw for Microsoft, but that has been about a month ago and none of these symptoms were apparent directly after that install, still...with the word program hanging, I figured maybe I managed to mess up Microsoft Office 2000. So I wanted to uninstall Photodraw, but it had integrated itself into Office and was unreachable. So I went into Office and ran installation repair. When that didn't help I uninstalled and reinstalled Office. No change. Running out of ideas, I went to housecall and did an online virus scan. It found 3 infected and uncleanable files, all jokes. I deleted them all, and commenced to get ticked off because Norton had missed them. A well meaning friend then directed me to a download online called AutoExit 4.0. I downloaded it but it wasn't a patch for Windows as I was hoping, but a seperate program for shutting down. I don't want to keep it. I want to get Windows back into shape and shutting down and going on standby normally. During my adventures looking around in the computers files, I stumbled upon Dr. Watson. (Didn't even know I had it) Ran that and it told me the following: Adobe Type Manager has altered Windows System Files. Module Name: ATMSYS.DRV and a version number. I tried to uninstall Adobe Type Manager, but couldn't. I located the program on the C drive under program folders and when I tried to open it I got an error message saying it couldn't be opened. AAARRRGGHHH! That's where I am now. Out of ideas and still haven't budged the problem. I don't know if the viruses are capable of doing this? I don't know if the Word Documents hanging are a seperate problem? I did look at the properties for Adobe Type Manager and it was put on the system in May, so it wasn't a recent addition. As for Adobe Photodeluxe and Realplayer not responding...who cares, really, I could live without both programs, but I mentioned it because all this happened at the same time. I don't get it. I don't know where to turn next. Can anyone offer some suggestions please before I tear my hair out?